Termination adaptor connectors are currently used to test or adapt an electronic system, or to simulate its connection to some other electronic system. Examples of such devices may be found in electronic components catalogs, more particularly for connectors, published by the manufacturers, such as 3M or AMP. To terminate a line, it is presently usual to use small-sized connector packages, which may include jumper links, electric wires, or adaptation resistors. However, if integration with the connector packages of circuits or bulkier elements is desired, then rigid printed circuits welded to the connectors are used, and the bulky elements are disposed on these circuits. Taking into account the relative bulk of the printed circuit and the elements carried by it, this necessitates the use of equally bulky connector packages, which may have serious disadvantages. There is in fact a strong tendency toward miniaturization at present. Thus current electronic systems are incorporated in smaller and smaller volumes, and if connector packages such as those described above must be used, it becomes impossible in many situations because of lack of space to connect the connector packages, or at least to connect them without disconnecting the electronic systems to be tested.
Another disadvantage in using connector packages of the type described above relates to the difficulty of obtaining effective shielding, because to improve the shielding necessitates a further increase in volume.